Elderly urged to avoid winter falls risk
PENSIONERS should avoid venturing out from their homes as the Highlands shivers in sub-zero temperatures because of the risk of falling, the region’s public health director has warned.
Dr Margaret Somerville of NHS Highland said elderly people should stay behind closed doors and not consider going out in case they injured themselves.
She told councillors more than 1,500 people were admitted to hospital every year in the Highlands after hurting themselves during a fall and spent an average of three weeks under care.
Out of that total, only 4.7 per cent had been admitted from residential care, highlighting the dangers for OAPs living independently.
She told Highland councillors at a meeting in Inverness today (Thursday) that the problem was even more stark when there was a prolonged period of wintry weather.
“With the weather like it as the moment we need to think about the advice we give people when they go out about," she said.
“We clearly want them to stay at home, if at all possible.”
Dr Somerville said hospitals reported sharp increases in elderly admissions from falls about four or five days after a cold snap of weather when OAPs often went out to buy essentials like bread and milk.
“We would ask people to keep an eye out for elderly people living in their communities,” she added.
Depute council leader David Alston said a lot of people knew someone whose lives had been severely affected following a bad fall and they often suffered a huge crisis of confidence,
Councillor Alston said the Highland media had previously “mocked” the local authority when it established a falls prevention programme several years ago but attitudes were now changing.